Pub of the Week: The Crossed Scythes, Totley

Phil Penfold

There are plenty of pubs called The Crossed Keys, but as far as I can see there are only two pubs which go by the name of The Crossed Scythes in the whole of Britain and both are in South Yorkshire.

This one is in Totley, on the Baslow Road towards Bakewell. It has been around since Victorian and Edwardian times, where it was a popular resting place for walkers and cyclists. It also boasted a decent stable of horses.

While the stables are long gone, the verandah is still there and is an ideal spot to sit on a sunny day. Things weren’t that busy on my visit, so the barman actually came out and brought me a second pint of a perfectly kept Abbeydale Moonshine. Other ales include those from Barnsley’s own Acorn people, and Peak District.

Inside, it’s open, airy, but with enough snug areas to give you a place to sit with a little privacy if you want it. Outside, there’s a wide beer garden (where smoking is discouraged) and lots of picnic-style tables. There’s even a big ceramic bowl of water so that your pet pooch can enjoy a sup as well.

Sensible prices for the wines (and a good list as well), some interesting cocktails on offer, and a menu that sits neatly on a couple of pages. And I have to mention here a Gravad Lax sandwich that the Scythes do… total perfection on a plate. Delicious to the max, filled with lovely-tasting fish, and at a price so daft that I wonder that they make a profit. Brilliant in every respect and department.